Anthem to pare back Obamacare offerings in Nevada and Georgia

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

#POLITICS AUGUST 7, 2017 / 1:54 PM / 2 HOURS AGO

Anthem to pare back Obamacare offerings in Nevada and Georgia

(Reuters) - U.S. health insurer Anthem Inc (ANTM.N) said on Monday it will no longer offer Obamacare plans in Nevada's state exchange and will stop offering the plans in nearly half of Georgia's counties next year.

The moves come after Republican senators last month failed to repeal and replace Obamacare, former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare reform law, creating uncertainty over how the program providing health benefits to 20 million Americans will be funded and managed in 2018.

Hundreds of U.S. counties are at risk of losing access to private health coverage in 2018 as insurers consider pulling out of those markets in the coming months.

Nevada had said in June that residents in 14 counties out of 17 in the state would not have access to qualified health plans on the state exchanges. Anthem's decision to leave the state entirely does not increase the number of "bare counties" in the state, Nevada Insurance Commissioner Barbara Richardson said in a statement.

The insurer will still offer "catastrophic plans," which can be purchased outside the state's exchange and are only available to consumers under 30 years old or with a low income.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-anthem-nevada-idUSKBN1AN25N

[BigmanPigman]

1. One DUer posted last week that Anthem Blue Shield has pulled out of the LA

market in CA. I just spoke with my Blue Shield rep in CA and she confirmed what I heard which is a projected 12.5% increase in CA premiums for next year. However, nothing is definitely with any marketplace since the GOP has created such a fucked up mess and insurers don't know what to expect. I am so glad they were working on this EASY health care fix for the past 7 years!